Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband welcomed Hamas’s reported pledge to disarm in return for an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza, thanking the US and regional mediators for their role in negotiations. He said the next priority was full implementation of the proposed peace plan, including a ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal and increased humanitarian aid, amid continuing severe conditions in Gaza.

The US-backed plan would link Hamas’s disarmament to a phased Israeli withdrawal, with an international stabilisation force and Palestinian police supporting Gaza until a new Palestinian administration takes over. Egypt said Israel and Hamas had agreed a 15-point roadmap and would meet in Cairo to discuss implementation; the UK said it was awaiting Israel’s response and urged action over settler violence in the West Bank.